The establishment of the Celestial Dynasty began with the bestowal of the title upon the River God.

Is this... a move to advance?

Li Yi and Zhong Ming exchanged a silent glance, both looking somewhat surprised.

Commander Meng had said that he would bring a large army to the border within three days, but unexpectedly, the war has already begun on only the second day after entering the pass!

Meng Yunjie appeared on horseback, his gaze sweeping over the two captains under his command.

"We scouts will set off first—Giddy up!" He swung the reins and roared as he charged out of the camp gate.

The scouts followed closely behind and arrived at the city gate, where the scouts from the other four battalions were also present.

Li Yi exchanged glances with Xiao Zhou and Lin Yue from afar, not daring to exchange pleasantries.

Meng Yunjie nodded to the four captains and rushed out of the city gate with a rumble, immediately splitting into five groups and proceeding separately.

"We will head to the eastern border of the Great Yan Dynasty, pass through Tongjiabao, and go straight to the capital!"

Li Yi was startled upon hearing this.

The entire territory of the Great Yan Wu Dynasty is equivalent to a slightly larger prefecture of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No matter which side you enter from, you can reach the capital region. So why did you choose to enter the territory of the local earth god?

Just then, Meng Yunjie spoke again:

"Yesterday, the scouts were discovered by the Great Yan Earth God, so they must have taken precautions everywhere. After you enter the territory, you don't need to rush in. The priority is to find out the location of the enemy scouts and kill them to gain merit. As for that Earth God, I, the commander, will handle him."

Li Yi had no time to think. Braving the cold wind, he changed horses and galloped away. Just as he caught sight of the Great Yan territory, he was spotted by a scout and a signal arrow was fired.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Last night, after the monkey spirit repelled many sentries, he rushed to the palace to request an audience with King Wang Xianzhang.

Upon hearing the purpose of the visit from the local earth god, the latter convened a small court meeting overnight, summoning the heads of the six ministries to discuss countermeasures.

"Those cavalry deliberately chose different times, clearly not wanting me to discover their identities. Later, they simply dispatched several Foundation Establishment generals to rescue their troops."

Wang Xianzhang looked nervous as he glanced at the second person on the lower left.

"What is Minister Zhao's opinion?"

Minister of War Zhao Bin immediately stood up.

"It seems that they need to first ascertain the territory's boundaries in order to take precautions and avoid invasion. If there is any invasion, they probably won't consider the Hetao area."

The monkey spirit landowner nodded slightly. After the Qiu River enters the territory of the Great Yan Kingdom, it bends in the east and north to enclose a large area of ​​land, which includes most of its territory. The court usually refers to it as "Hetao".

Seeing that the war was progressing well, Wang Xianzhang felt somewhat relieved.

"So, the enemy will most likely attack from the two border passes?"

Zhao Bin bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "In my opinion, we should prioritize the two border passes. Duanxia Pass is the closest to the capital and can be heavily guarded."

Wang Xianzhang nodded, his eyes lacking any luster. His lips moved slightly, but he finally couldn't hold back and asked:

"Could it be that Qifeng County is annoyed by the frequent bandit raids on our Great Yan, and that's why they sent troops to intimidate us? Or perhaps they simply organized cavalry to pretend to be bandits, intending to wreak havoc on the border?"

Zhao Bin's face was solemn. "Your Majesty, please consider this carefully!"

Wang Xianzhang turned his head hesitantly to look at the Earth God, "Does Master Zhu have any opinion?"

The monkey spirit land deity slowly rose to his feet. "Your Majesty, please make preparations. The heartland of the capital region is also within the territory of this little deity, and it can still hold out for some time. It would be better to immediately send a message to Dali to request assistance; that is the most important thing."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Two miles west of Tongjiabao, the monkey spirit Zhu Xing, nestled in a willow branch, couldn't help but recall the unconcealed panic on the face of the Great Yan Emperor, and sighed softly.

Although He did not become a god by will, He enjoyed the offerings of the people of Great Yan for many years after becoming a god, and He felt that He should do His part. However, seeing the king's backbone, He wondered what would become of the people of Great Yan in the future...

If the enemy chooses to invade from either of the two border passes, He cannot help; once He leaves the territory, He is nothing more than a Qi Refining cultivator with a stronger physique.

As noon was approaching and there were still no unusual signs on the eastern and northern borders, Zhu Xing dared not relax. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly perked up and appeared with a sinister grin.

……

Meng Yunjie did not assist his subordinates, bypassed the enemy scouts, and went to Tongjiabao alone.

"According to the intelligence report from the first detachment, the Great Yan landowner should already be aware of my presence..."

He stood a hundred meters away from the gate of Tongjiabao and said loudly:

"I wasn't quite satisfied with my fight yesterday, fellow Daoist. Why don't you come forward and fight me again?"

Meng Yunjie's eyes suddenly locked onto a locust tree on the right, and the next moment, a monkey face appeared.

Zhu Xing landed in front of his opponent, grinning maliciously.

"How dare you invade my territory! You have some nerve!"

As he spoke, the light above Meng Yunjie's head suddenly dimmed. He looked up and saw a large brown hand suddenly grabbing downwards, grasping a red-tasseled spear in its hand. With a thrust, it pierced a hole in the tree trunk.

He pushed off with his feet and leaped out of the tree trunk through the hole, the red glint of the spear tip faintly visible.

The tree trunk slammed out, bringing with it gusts of cold wind that made the large swathes of withered trees rustle and wail incessantly.

Meng Yunjie was unexpectedly entangled with the tree palm. He dodged and weaved, but for a moment he could not find any trace of the monkey spirit. Instead, the tree palm was relentlessly pursuing him from behind, so he had no choice but to evade.

He wiped his eyes open, stared intently at an old tree ten meters away, and threw his spear.

puff--

The spear pierced through the old tree, spun in the air, and flew back into Meng Yunjie's hand.

Zhu Xing's monkey body slowly detached from the old tree, and there was a hole in his abdomen, which was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He placed his hand on the old tree, restoring it to its original state, and sneered:

"You do have some skill, but unfortunately, it's not enough."

Meng Yunjie stared at him without saying a word.

He had just used his supernatural ability, "Heart Monkey Fiery Eyes," to perceive the anger in Zhu Xing's heart and thus locate him, but he was unable to defeat him in one fell swoop, which was indeed a troublesome situation.

"This can't go on."

After dodging several attacks from the tree palms, Meng Yunjie sighed inwardly. Although this monkey spirit earth spirit was only one of the five bodies and his cultivation was not high, he could still mobilize the surrounding wood energy. If he could not defeat the enemy quickly, he would be worn down sooner or later...

If I use my fiery eyes to confuse my mind and anger my opponent, I might cause him to withdraw his supernatural power "Spiritual Root Treasure". At that time, when all five bodies are gathered, I will definitely destroy him in one fell swoop!

Meng Yunjie narrowed his eyes, quietly twisted the tip of his spear, and patiently waited for the tree palm to strike again. Taking advantage of the moment when it blocked their vision, he circulated his Qi and used his Fire Eye to aim at his opponent's position. Suddenly, he thrust his spear through the tree palm!

Whether it was the man carrying the gun or the gun pulling the man, Meng Yunjie's speed was astonishing.

The monkey spirit was taken aback as his opponent was about to get close, but just as he was about to be pierced by the spear tip, he nimbly dodged to the side.

Zhu Xing's eyes were full of mockery. "Spiritual seeds are everywhere within my domain. How can you possibly block my view?"

Puff puff--

Several wooden splinters pierced through the soil, wrapped around Meng Yunjie's wrists and ankles, and tied him in mid-air.

Several more vines pierced Meng Yunjie's joints, but only managed to break through his skin, failing to damage his roots for the time being.

Meng Yunjie struggled briefly, and flames suddenly erupted from his hands and feet, instantly burning the vines to ashes.

He clapped his wrists, swung his arm to draw a semicircle on the ground with his spear, clearing away a large patch of vines, and sneered:

"You think you can subdue me with such paltry tricks?"

When Meng Yunjie looked up again, he saw that the old trees around him had unknowingly formed a canopy, with countless branches and vines surrounding the place, making it impossible to see the sun. Once the tree cage was fully formed, the endless vines immediately turned their tips and pointed downwards.

Zhu Xing smiled, noticing his slightly pale face, and couldn't help but sneer:

"He's not even as good as a junior in the Qi Refining class."